


Why

by saaamm



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Gen, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 11:28:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18893716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saaamm/pseuds/saaamm
Summary: In his lifetime, Harry Potter has never known much about himself. Being handed himself through people he trusted, what happens when that isn't who he really is. Loyalties tested, friendships strained, and alignments shifting. Can Harry finally be told why?





	1. Chapter 1

     Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. But, Harry Potter was not. It could not be stressed enough how,  _extra_ ordinary this boy was. As an infant, accidental magic rarely happened, if it did occur it was as simple as levitating a toy toward themselves. As magic manifests, it molds itself to meet the needs of the user. So at age ten, Harry Potter had unwittingly mastered the arts of healing and glamour. He never went hungry, his magic created the feeling of fullness without having to eat. He couldn't provide his own body with non-existent nutrients, so he grew stuntedly. Never gaining much height or weight, he still outwardly seemed to be a perfectly healthy.  
     June 23rd was a very special day in the Dursley household. 11 years prior, the pride and joy of Petunia and Vernon had been born and had been doted on. And at Four a.m. Harry had woken up to his Aunt unlocking his door.  
     “Start making breakfast. When Vernon wakes up, you are to be in here. Quiet and non-existent. Am I understood?”  
     Little Harry stood up obediently. “Yes, Aunt Petunia.”  
     She grabbed his small arm and pulled him into the hallway by the stairs. She pushed him toward the kitchen and went back upstairs to get ready for the day and set out her son's gifts. Say what you will about her treatment of her nephew, she was a very loving mother to her son.  
     Harry began preparing his ingredients. Bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, bread, sausages, black pudding, and beans. A full English breakfast, a bit stereotypical but it was Dudley's favourite. He was even preparing chocolate muffins.  
     He heard his Aunt messing about in the background, ordering gifts and tidying the area. He was relieved they would be leaving today. While Mrs. Figg wasn't the most interesting person, she was kind and found some sort of joy around him. Besides, she had cats. Cats were better than dogs, they were quiet and calm, very unlike Ripper. Harry didn't really like dogs.  
     The muffins finished baking and the tomatoes and mushrooms were cooling on the table. His Aunt was almost finished setting out the gifts when he heard two very distinct pounds on the floor above. His Aunt pulled him by his ear and locked him into his room. And she began tending to the food.  
     The floor above sounded as if it were going to cave in under the weight of the man above. Harry quickly shoved a small tomato slice into his mouth, chewing quickly before swallowing and smiling at the taste. It was rare he got more than a bruised apple for breakfast but he would sneak little things every now and again.  
     Dust fell onto his face as his uncle walked down the stairs. The phone rung suddenly and Aunt Petunia answered. Vernon stomped his way to the table and Harry could only assume he was reading the paper and drinking his coffee. He could hear Petunia's shrill voice getting anxious as she called numbers again and again. She hung up the phone and said something to Vernon.  
     Harry could only make out a few words such as Zoo, Boy, and Stay as Vernon ranted, as quietly as possible to Petunia. They tried not to wake their precious Dudley. Harry zoned out after they quieted, finding solace in his mind.  
     He woke from his daze when dust fell into his face as Dudley ran up and down the stairs, jumping to disturb whatever peace his cousin had found. He heard the locks on his door slide open and his uncle yanked him out of his cupboard by his hair. Harry saw the den filled with gifts for his cousin. He counted quickly and discovered there were  _only_  thirty six.  
     Harry had a spatula thrust into his hands by his Aunt and picked up where she'd left off with breakfast. He fried the last few eggs quickly and served them out. Petunia then gave him a few slices of burnt bacon and he stood near the table to eat, not allowed to sit down.

     Dudley seemed to realize how  _little_  he'd gotten for his birthday and very well decided to make it known. Harry scarfed down his breakfast, realizing his Aunt and Uncle were in a great mood to give him so much to eat. He was grateful for small miracles.

     About an hour and a half later, Harry was finishing up the dishes when his uncle called to him.

     “Boy, you better listen very well to me. Mrs. Figg has broken her leg and we found no one else to make sure you don't blow up our house. You are coming with us. You will not touch anything. You will not speak to us. You will not walk too close to us but you will not leave my sight. And you will not ruin my Dudley's day. If you break any of these rules, you will not like the outcome. Am I clear?”  
     “Yes, Uncle Vernon.” Harry was fighting off a grin. Smiling in his uncle's face could lead to a serious concussion. Vernon smacked him on the head, propelling him out the door, to the car.  
     On the way to the zoo, Harry was buzzing with elation. He had only ever gone to the store with the Dursley's and that was because they never trusted him alone in their house. They thought he'd burn it down or steal all of their belongings. The way Vernon spoke, it was unlikely that they would leave him alone in the car. Vernon's very new car. He wondered what he would be able to see. He was so excited, even Dudley and Piers constant side pinching and elbowing couldn't bring him down from his high.  
     Harry was having the time of his life. The animals were all so interesting and there had been a gorilla he distinctly related to Dudley. But he was burning hot, not unlike when he was forced yard work. The reptile house was a gracious reprieve. It was cool and he took an interest to them the most. Dudley and Piers were very uninterested however. The reptiles were too stationary to hold their attention much.  
     Harry saw a very large snake and watched it closely. Dudley banged his fists against the glass and Piers yelled at it to move. Even Vernon couldn't get the animal to do anything. Harry felt for the animal. The two boys moved on and Harry sighed. The snake lifted its head and winked at Harry. The boy blinked harshly. He looked back at his Cousin then at the snake. It seemed to roll its eyes up, as if telling Harry that that sort of thing is something that happens often. Harry blinked again and sighed.  
     “I know. I can imagine. It must be annoying.” He watched the snake nod. “I wonder where you're from.” The snake pointed its tail at its sign. “Oh, Brazil. But bred in captivity. A boa constrictor. I'm sorry.” The snake nodded, seemingly sad.  
     Suddenly, a voice boomed in Harry's ear. “ Dudley! Mr. Dursley! Come see what this snake is doing!”  
Dudley waddle-ran over. “Move it.” He punched Harry in the side, aggravating a bruise and causing Harry to fall to the ground.  
     Harry stared at him angrily. Suddenly, the glass of the enclosure vanished and the two boys jumped away. They screamed as the constrictor slithered out. It stood, or more like stopped, in front of Harry. It seemed to bow and swiftly slither passed. He unmistakably heard it hiss out, “Brazil, Here I come. Thanksss, amigo.”  
     Harry looked up at his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. He could already feel his consequences.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Descriptive Child Abuse.  
> Less important: Not edited we die like men

    Harry watched the Dursley's send Piers away with terrified eyes. Nothing could save him from the punishment that laid in his very near future. Aunt Petunia was ushering Dudley into the kitchen telling him not to concern himself with the freak. Dudley, looked uneasy, most likely because of being face to face with a snake. Harry heard the front door close and could already feel his punishment.

     Harry felt a fistful off his hair get yanked back as he was slammed into the wall next to his cupboard. Vernon snarled at him, twisting up his purple face. "You miserable freak! Are you trying to kill my family!" 

    "No sir! I didn't do anything!" Harry cried out as he was slammed into the wall again. He felt so incredibly dizzy and his glasses fell to the floor from the force. Vernon dropped him onto the ground.

    "I'll make sure you're sorry." He began walking toward the umbrella stand next to the front door. Harry began to panic and tried to get up. Each time he picked up his head nausea swept through him and his head pounded. He tried to crawl away but he was too slow. Vernon stomped back over to him; holding a cane.

    Harry could hardly stifle his scream when the cane struck him. Fire burned through his body, emanating from where the can had struck. Hours seemed to pass as the cane cracked down on his body again and again. No area was safe from his uncle's wrath.

    When it was over his arms and face were bruised and welted, blood smeared across his face as his nose steadily warped the liquid. Vernon threw the cane onto him.

    "Clean up and make dinner." He walked into the living room and sat down to watch the television. Harry opened his eyes and tried to move despite the stinging in his body. Tears stung his face as they ran into some welts on his cheeks and turning his body was hell due to the welts on his stomach, sides, and back. 

    With great effort, he ended up finding his glasses and standing up, using the very cane that hurt him to balance and lean on as he pulled himself up. He looked at where he was laying and found that, luckily, he hadn't bled on the floor much. He sighed in relief, he was lucky that the cleanup was easy today. He replaced the cane next to the door and went on his way. Navigating with great difficulty around the house, most likely because he was concussed he tried blinking away any blurriness in his vision.

    He was moving into the cleaning closet to grab his cleaning supplies when his Aunt thrust them at him before he could get there. "Just go clean it and get out of the way. I'd rather make Dudder's dinner so it's not tainted." 

    Harry reached out to grab the supplies quickly, wincing at the stinging pain the movement created and cautioned a look at his Aunt. She was pointedly looking away from him as he took the supplies from her hands. "Thank you," he said carefully. Petunia huffed at him and stomped away from him. He smiled just slightly but quickly cleared his face, especially because the movement stretched his busted lips and his welts. 

    He quickly cleaned his mess and put the supplies away in record time. He opened his cupboard and nearly cried at finally being in his own space. It may be quaint and full of spiders but his cupboard was home. His little cot was the most comfortable thing he could imagine and his little army men were perfect companions. He looked at a little picture he drew onto the wall years ago. He stared at it, imagining the blue stick figure as his father, kicking a football with him in the front yard like Piers father did. He imagined the red stick figure handing him a snack as he did his homework, like Petunia did with Dudley. He imagined them all walking together, like his picture showed.

    But his parents were drunks, and he was their mistake. He briefly wondered if his life would be any different if he lived with them and they were still alive. No, it'd be the same. Only, he wouldn't have Aunt Petunia to help in little ways. He was grateful for that at least.

    His cupboard was small, but he couldn't imagine anywhere more comfortable.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all liked it. I got a lot planned for this fic but! Not sure what ship to write if any. I might figure it out on the way but if this story picks up speed, or piques your fancy maybe you could suggest what y'all wanna see.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry gets his letter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't updated in forever. Oops. I don't own Harry Potter or any characters mentioned within.

     "Boy! Get the post," Vernon yelled from his chair. Harry walked over to the mail slot with a slight limp. He didn't know why but he always seemed to heal quickly. He picked up the mail from the floor and looked through it cautiously. A large letter in the middle caught his eye. He flipped it over and his breath caught in his throat. In neat, beautiful writing, it was addressed to _Mr. H. Potter_ to _The cabinet under the stairs, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey._  
     With shaking hands, he stuffed it into the pocket of his bagging pants and delivered the post to his uncle, who immediately sent him into his cupboard. Harry tucked himself into a corner of his cupboard, making himself as small as possible. He began picking at the wax seal of the letter, not daring to rip open the paper for fear of his family hearing it. He wore the seal down until he could open the envelope and open the letter it contained. Harry read it as best he could.  
     Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards),

     Dear Mr. Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
                                                     Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress

      Harry couldn't believe what he'd read, he was obviously imagining this. _Wizardry, witchcraft? Hogwarts?_ What the hell is a Hogwarts? He re-read the letter, it felt real, part of him really wanted to believe that this was real. He felt something swirling inside of himself. Maybe it was real?  
     "BOY, WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH THE LIGHTS?!" Uncle Vernon was stomping toward his cupboard. He had no time to hide the letter as his uncle ripped him up by his hair and threw him into the wall of the hallway. The letter was held tightly in his small, too small fist and wrinkling up until he felt his arm go numb. The letter was held weakly and Vernon snatched it from him.  
     "You stole a letter from us, you ungrateful brat. What was it?" He held the letter under his scrutiny, just barely reading a word before he paled beyond white. Following the commotion, Petunia and Dudley appeared in the hall.  
     "V-Vernon?" Petunia tried calling out delicately. Vernon turned to his wife and held the letter out. She took it in her thin hands and read the first word. One hand came to her mouth in horror. She looked at her nephew. Harry could see it in her eyes. Pity and terror in equal amounts directed toward him.  
     Harry looked at his uncle, a new kind of fear overtook him as his uncle looked down at him again.


End file.
